Concerns are growing over the future of the B&B Hotels team and the accompanying move of Mark Cavendish to the French pro team for 2023.

Team manager Jérôme Pinot had planned to announce the 2023 rosters and new title sponsors for the men's and women's teams on Wednesday, ahead of the Tour de France route presentation in Paris on Thursday. However, the team abruptly canceled the event on Tuesday evening, stating in a social media post that "key officials for the 2023 team project are unavailable."

Now the French newspaper L'Équipe (opens in new tab) has revealed more details about the team's future potential and its struggle to secure a title sponsor to cover a significant increase in the team budget.

The team was not among the applicants for the 2023 World Team and Pro Team licenses announced by the UCI last week; B&B Hotels still has time to complete registration, but each delay will result in fines and further scrutiny from the UCI accountants.

One rider agent expressed concern about the future of the B&B Hotels team, describing it as "very worrisome."

The team claimed that the registration delay was due to "changes in the legal structure as the team evolves over the next few years."

In August, Pinault said the chances of signing Cavendish in 2023 were "50-50," but he seemed confident of building a team around the Manxman, who is aiming for a record number of stage wins at the Tour de France.

Cavendish has not yet decided on a team for 2023, but rumors are spreading that it will be B&B Hotels. A number of other players are expected to join the team, including Cees Bol, Nick Schultz, Ramon Schinkeldam, and veteran lead-out man Maximiliano Richeze; according to L'Équipe, Pierre Rolland, Luca Mozzato, Julien Morris, Thibault Ferrasse, Cyril Lemoine, Maxime Chevalier, and Cyril Gauthier have extended their contracts with the team.

Pinot spoke enthusiastically about his plans for 2023 during the Tour de France, but has since adopted a low-key attitude and is working on team building. October 15 is an important deadline for team registration with the UCI, and athletes are free to terminate their contracts if the team fails to provide important information and bank guarantees by then.

This means that Cavendish and the other players could be transferred to another team in 2023. Pinot faces a race against time to secure the team's future in 2023.

"There have been few signs of life from Jérôme Pinault since the day the Tour arrived on the Champs-Elysées and the partnership between the city of Paris and his professional team from 2023 was announced," suggested L'Équipe magazine.

According to L'Équipe, none of the several companies that are considered sponsors have signed on. The city of Paris is involved, but Mayor Anne Hidalgo confirmed in July that no public funds would be used to establish the team.

The team's new management company is called the Paris Cycling Club, and the idea seems to be to use its ties to the French capital to attract big corporate sponsors.

The team's new management team includes Didier Quillot, former executive director of Ligue Professionnel de Football with experience in television rights contracts; Thomas Le Drian, son of a former French defense minister; Kilometre Zero Paris bike store and Cycling Club's Guillaume de la Hosseley, apparently included.

According to L'Équipe, the team is hoping for a budget of €15 million; B&B Hotels has extended its sponsorship, promising €5 million, but L'Équipe suggests that "nothing seems to have been signed yet" regarding other backers; BMC is reportedly taking over from KTM as the team's new bike supplier.

Amazon France, Carrefour, and Cdiscount have been rumored as possible sponsors, but according to L'Equipe magazine, natural gas and green energy supplier Engie, a supplier of natural gas and green energy, is currently the most likely sponsor, and there are rumors that Enedis, an electricity distribution network, is an alternative.

According to L'Équipe, Cavendish and the other new riders agreed to a "memorandum of understanding" in Paris two weeks ago, but since then the team has been unable to complete its 2023 license application and canceled Wednesday's press conference.

Cavendish was scheduled to attend a Tour de France presentation in Paris on Thursday morning before traveling to Singapore and Japan for the Tour de France criteriums on October 30 and November 6.

On November 15, the UCI will complete its assessment of pro team applicants, and only a last-minute appeal process can save the teams.